"Governor assured to look into it": Fact-finding committee submits interim report on West Bengal violence

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], April 10 : The six-member fact-finding committee constituted to look into the violence in West Bengal during the Ram Navami procession submitted its interim report to Governor CV Ananda Bose on Monday and said that he has assured to look into it.

Addressing a press conference here after the meeting, a member of the fact-finding team and former Chief Justice of Patna HC, Narasimha Reddy said that the aim of the committee is to restore normalcy in the violent-affected areas.

"We have submitted the interim report to WB Governor and he assured us to look into it. We were not permitted to reach the site of violence. Our effort is to ensure that normalcy is restored. If the situation of the state is normal, then why were we stopped?" he said.

Reiterating that the West Bengal Police stopped the committee members from visiting violent-hit areas, Reddy asked why were they stopped if the situation is normal.

"When we tried to go, the police said that we cannot go as the situation is tense there. On the other hand, they say that the situation is normal there. Now, they have to decide. What problem do they have in our visit if the situation is normal?" he asked.

When asked about Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee questioning the credibility of the committee, he said that anybody can visit the violence-hit areas as humans.

"As humans, anybody can visit there. If they (State government) have nothing to hide then why are they scared?" he said.

Earlier, the six-member fact-finding Committee on alleged violation of human rights in West Bengal led by former Patna High Court Chief Justice Narsimha Reddy on Monday in its interim report said that the riots during Ram Navami procession were "pre-planned, orchestrated and instigated".

The fact-finding panel sought a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the violence.

The fact-finding team was on a three-day tour of West Bengal to assess alleged human rights violations in the state during Ram Navami processions in Howrah and Hooghly districts.

The Committee consist of former Patna High Court Chief Justice L Narsimha Reddy, former IPS Raj Pal Singh, former member of National Commission for Women advocate Charu Wali Khanna, former Joint Registrar (Law) National Human Rights Commission of India advocate OP Vyas, senior journalist Sanjeev Nayak and former consultant National Commission for Protection of Child Rights advocate Bhavna Bajaj.

"The Committee is of the view that the riots which erupted on the auspicious occasion of Rain Navami on March 30, and continued in its aftermath, were pre-planned, orchestrated, and instigated. The trigger was the grossly inflammatory speech of the West Bengal Chief Minister. The Committee has come across several user-generated videos and media reports also reporting multiple videos, which confirm that the peaceful Ram Navami procession was targeted and the rioters were exhorted to stop and target the procession," the report stated.

The Committee in its Report said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee just before the processions on Ram Navami, while sitting on dharna, made a call through a communal speech that any procession passing through 'muslim areas' (as spoken verbatim) will be seriously acted upon.

The Committee said it appeared that communally charged mob violence broke out against people taking part in the peaceful Ram Navami processions and at the same time the state police was found completely missing in action to control rioters.

The Committee sought appropriate police action in the matter by filing FIRs against the culprits behind the riots, to achieve the ends of justice for the victims.

The Committee also sought that the investigation of the riots be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to ensure that the investigations are being carried out in a fair, impartial and independent manner; protection be provided to persecuted and fearful victims so that their life can return to normalcy, including withdrawal of false cases against innocent persons and deployment of Central Forces may be extended as a confidence-building measure for the victims who have lost faith in the state police.

Notably, violent clashes erupted in West Bengal's Howrah during a Ram Navami procession.

Several vehicles were set on fire after two groups clashed in Howrah amid Ram Navami celebrations. During the procession, the rioters vandalised public and private properties while setting vehicles on fire.

Following the violence in Howrah, the West Bengal government on March 31 handed over the probe to Criminal Investigation Department (CID). A special team led by Inspector General of Police, CID Sunil Choudhury initiated the investigation.

Clashes had erupted during the BJP's Shobha Yatra (procession) in Hooghly. The state government later issued prohibitory orders and also suspended internet services across the district.